Author: Charles Frank

Percocet: 7 things you should know

See also How to Use section for more information about addiction. Percocet, a combination of oxycodone and acetaminophen, is prescribed for moderate to severe pain relief. The dosage combines two active ingredients, oxycodone and acetaminophen, with different strengths. Both oxycodone and Percocet are considered highly addictive and can cause dependence and addiction. Tolerance can lead to physical dependence and physical and mental withdrawal symptoms when the drug is stopped.

  1. This article will discuss the similarities and differences between Percocet and hydrocodone for pain relief.
  2. It contains an opioid pain reliever (oxycodone) and a non-opioid pain reliever (acetaminophen).
  3. OTC options include Narcan (4 mg/spray) and ReVive (3 mg/spray).
  4. Grapefruit can increase the chance of side effects with this medicine.

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This medication passes into breast milk and may have undesirable effects on a nursing infant. Tell the doctor right away if your baby develops unusual sleepiness, difficulty feeding, or trouble breathing. Older adults may be more sensitive to the side effects of this drug, especially confusion, dizziness, drowsiness, and slow/shallow breathing.

Percocet is a brand name for the combination of oxycodone and acetaminophen (Tylenol). Other drugs may affect Percocet, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. Your doctor may recommend you get naloxone (a medicine to reverse an opioid overdose) and keep it with you at all times. A person caring for you can give the naloxone if you stop breathing or don’t wake up.

What is Percocet? Drug facts, side effects, abuse and more

If you wait until the pain has worsened, the medication may not work as well. Note that this list is not all-inclusive and includes only common medications that may interact with Percocet. You should refer to the prescribing information for Percocet for a complete list of interactions.

Side effects of oxycodone and Percocet

If you have nausea, it may help to take this drug with food. Ask your doctor or pharmacist about other ways to decrease nausea (such as lying down for 1 to 2 hours with as little head movement as possible). When an opioid overdose is suspected, naloxone hydrochloride should be administered as soon as possible. Naloxone hydrochloride nasal spray is currently available by prescription and over the counter (OTC) under different brand names. Prescription options include Kloxxado (8 mg/spray), Rextovy (4 mg/spray), and Rezenopy (10 mg/spray). OTC options include Narcan (4 mg/spray) and ReVive (3 mg/spray).

Side Effects

While it’s not an opiate because it’s synthetic and not found in opium, it is an opioid. Therefore it affects the same opioid receptors and produces the same effects in the brain of the user. Percocet is prescribed to treat pain that’s generally moderate to severe, but it’s not meant for chronic pain.

If any of these effects last or get worse, tell your doctor or pharmacist promptly. The dosage is based on your medical condition and response to treatment. Do not increase your dose, take the medication more often, or take it for a longer time than prescribed. When you begin to develop a tolerance to a drug, you need higher doses to get pain relief. Oxycodone can slow or stop your breathing, and may be habit-forming. Use only your prescribed dose, and swallow the pill whole to avoid a potentially fatal dose.

Interactions can produce unwanted effects, reduce the efficacy of one or both medications and even increase the risk of side effects. It is essential to ask your healthcare providers which medications to avoid when taking hydrocodone. Both of these medications have been shown to be effective in providing pain relief. There is some evidence that oxycodone in combination with other analgesics, including acetaminophen, may provide more pain relief and fewer side effects. Ask a doctor or pharmacist before using any other medicine that may contain acetaminophen (sometimes abbreviated as APAP). Taking certain medications together can lead to a fatal overdose.

If you are prescribed an opioid treatment, your healthcare provider may recommend naloxone. Naloxone can reverse the overdose effects of Percocet, hydrocodone, or similar medications. Reversal of an overdose will also likely result in reversal of the therapeutic effect, so pain symptoms may return. Always call 911 in the event of an overdose, even if naloxone is administered. Overdosing on medications or drugs can cause severe health problems and even death.